Mind Over Matter
by Euley
Summary: Joni Wyndam Pryce isn't smart or athletic. Just plain old Joni. So she runs away, and during this journey the youngest of the 4 Pryce siblings discovers it isn't the brain or the body that makes someone a Pryce. Yet something else entirely.
1. Plain old Joni

Joni walked calmly through the Pinegreen Elementary school hallway. She had been here a load of times, because of the others.

"Ahh Miss Pryce" said the teacher. She was new to Pinegreen. Yet Joni already knew how she knew her name.

Her family.

Luke was a straight A (or O as they use in first grade) student, and now being in fourth grade was a straight a student.

Mattie was a teacher here, and everyone knows Matt

Markus was constantly here being a teachers aid, as part of school, heck the Principal even pays him some because of all the work and helping out he does for the teachers.

And here she was, just plain old Joni Pryce, no special jobs, no special grades, just by herself. Plain old Joni.

* * *

"Hey Jones how was school" asked Matt as he entered the house later that night. Shadow the wolf that had always been a regular member of the family, and a well-known citizen throughout Pinegreen merely moaned. Joni had started school a week ago. Matt merely looked at Shadow curiously. "That bad" he asked grimly. The young jet-black wolf merely rolled his eyes and then closed them falling lazily asleep in "HIS" chair. "Jone's" he asked entering the kitchen. The 7 year old turned to him; a large black eye was the first thing his noticed. "Oh my god Joni." he gasped dropping his suitcase, and jacket which where in his arms he ran over to his little sister. "What happened" 

"It was Jeff! He started it! I mean he was the one that said I was a misfit, and shouldn't have the last name Pryce. "

"Why would he say that"

"Because I'm not smart, or athletic." she grumbled as he walked away to get some steak from the fridge and placed it on her eye.

"Your very smart Joni"

"I am not, not like you or Luke."

"Your very athletic."

"Not like you and Mark."

"So? You don't have to be like us Joni."

"Yes I do! Jeff said I bring same to the family name."

"You mean Shame" he asked arching a brow.

"Yeh! So I kicked him and he punched me."

"Oh my god Joni" said Liz running into the kitchen.

"Liz what are you doing up" asked Matt in shock.

"I'm 6 months pregnant not dying Matt." she said sarcastically as she ran over and took the meat off her eye. "Do you do this for all your siblings Matt" she asked getting a bag full of ice.

"Old remedy's have always worked before." he shrugged.

"Honey what happened"

"Jeff said I bring shame to the Pryce name because I am not smart of athletic she pouted."

"Aww poor baby, well don't you believe a word he says."

"Yeh"

"And why did he punch you"

"Because I kicked him," she pouted.

"Aww Jonsi you know better."

"Yeh" agreed Matt as Liz got up to get a cup of water. "Did you it least kick him hard" he whispered. Joni looked up at him bright eye and nodded. Liz walked over and slapped him playfully in the arm. "Ow"

"I heard that. Now Joni don't listen to your brother, you know better then to fight someone."

"I know," she grumbled.

"Yeh, and considering all of the times Emma had gotten into fights your talking to the master anti-violent person on this planet." said Matt casually. He got another hit in the arm. "You know it doesn't hurt any less."

"It's not suppose to," she said rolling her eyes.

"Hello! I still have problem," said Joni. Yet she was ignored.

"I dare you to do it again." Matt said playfully.

"I'm not sure if you could stand it again," she teased back.

"Wanna test that hypothesis" asked Matt as she walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hmm ok, just after I do this." she giggled kissing him sweetly. She pulled away smiling. "Where'd Joni go"


	2. Sshadow?

"Hey Jones." said Joni's other brother Mark. Mark out of the other three had a deepest connection to Joni considering the 3 months she spent with him alone while they searched for Luke. He was doing what he was usually doing. Working on his car.

"Hey Mark." she sighed.

"What happened to your eye" he hissed wiping the grease of his hands.

"Well it's a long story but"

"Hang on a second Jone's." he said picking up the house phone which he had outside in the garage. "Hello?...hey...nay I'm good you?...working on my car...WHAT?...SHE DID WHAT" he screamed in disbelief. Joni merely left her arms crossed and left him.

* * *

"Hey guys." said Joni climbing up the ladder to the tree house. The Rugrats all sitting there looking at baseball cards.

"What do you think your doing" asked Luke with venom in his voice. Joni quickly got down remembering the thing with the glue, and the siccoers, and his hair.

* * *

Next she would normally go see Wren yet now...with DD gone...Matt made her promise not to go over there without him or Liz...he said something about him drinking poison, or ALLY-K-HALL. (Alcohol). She merely sighed as she entered the house and ran up to her room.

"Go away." she merely mumbled as her door creaked open. She turned and saw Shadow staring at her with big blue eyes. "Oh it's you Shadow," she said wiping away the tears. She started throwing stuff in her duffle bag. "I'm running away, and there's nothing you can do to stop Me." she mumbled. "Now where is tha" she stopped and saw shadow had dropped the t-shirt she was looking for in the bag. She merely grinned. This wolf was helping her. She nodded as he fleeted to her closest and jumped down one of his bones in his mouth and dropped it in her bag as well.

"Ok, so where do you wanna go Shad? It's just you and me, on the open road." she said as they hiked down the street and came to a cross walk. He merely looked up at her and cocked his head to the side.

"Yeh, lets just keep going and see where the road takes us." and Shadow merely smiled.

* * *

Joni was getting extremely tired, and why was the air so cold for May? Her fingers where going numb, and all she could see was woods, woods, and more woods.

"Shadow...I think we're lost." she whispered.

"I know," said a voice.

"W-who said that" she gasped looking around.

"Me" said the voice again.

"W-who's me."

"I'm me." and then Shadow jumped up on top of her.

"S-shadow" she asked in disbelief. The wolf merely nodded. "B-b-but how"

"Joni, you do have something your brothers don't."

"What's t-that" she muttered.

"An innocent heart...there hearts had been touched by darkness, yet your hasn't."

"Meaning"

"You have a connection to things beyond your imagination." he said never moving his lips.

"Like you"

"No, to everything." he said inside her head. "Follow me." and he jumped off of her, and ran in to the woods. Joni quickly stumbled up and followed. Shadow was dashing through the woods and Joni was only 7. She followed him blindly, listening to the voice inside of her head instructing her where to go. "Stop" he thought suddenly. And Joni fell over to the ground because a moment ago she was spiriting. "Look" he merely said. She noticed she was in a clearing, the full moon shinning directly at the clearing. Upon Shadow more like, whom was standing on a giant boulder in the center. At his side on lower rocks rested three other animals. A hawk, a tiny panther cup, and

"The fox" she said breathlessly. The tiny fox merely slithered up to her. No more then a baby, Jet-black fir, with a white tipped tail. Her eyes seemed to glow like jewels.

"Vixy is her name Joni," said Shadow.

"She's so...CUTE" she screamed.

"Joni, the pure hearted one of Shadow...it is time you learn something important...your part of what is to come."

"My part" she asked as she picked up the little cub.

"Your part." repeated Shadow. He howled at the moon and all hell broke loose.


	3. Makes a Pryce

The sky seemed as if it were falling, as starts fell from the sky making a white streak, and soon so many white strikes covered the sky, it looked more like a white sheet. And on it Joni saw something. It was in black and white like an old movie.

"Many years ago Shadow once faced a mighty demon, whom held no name yet was merely called "The Demon"."

"But we killed him two years ago."

"Yes...yet his spirit still roams freely."

"W-what" she asked in disbelief as she stared at the once starry dotted sky that was now more like a movie screen. It shows a man, who looks oddly a lot like Matt throwing a dark energy ball "The Demon".

"You see Joni, you have a special power unlock all of your siblings. The pure of heart allows you to read the minds of others."

"Is that how I can u"

"Understand me, yes." he replied. "Joni, I need you to do something for Me." and then Joni saw something, a door standing in the middle of the clearing. It glowed.

"Wow...shiny..." she said in Aww.

"Your pendants Joni is the only thing that can lock the door and prevent The Demon from returning and hurting your brothers do you understand."

"Yeh" she said in Aww, and determination.

"Very well, now, Daughter of Shadow LOCK THE DOOR" he yelled, as the wind started to blow fiercely, and she started to see the door creak open she dashed over and pushed it closed.

"It's to heavy," she grumbled. Suddenly it started to feel lighter and she looked up and saw Matt straining to close it to. "Matt." she whispered.

"Hey Jones" he said through his teeth.

"What are you doing here"

"We got into this whole destiny thing together Jone's." said Luke coming up from behind him.

"And we'll fight it together." mumbled Mark from behind her.

"We're a family, like or not." said Matt. Joni felt it then and they're...what Shadow had meant. She could read their thoughts...and she could see them...sort of...it was only for a moment yet she saw them...who they really were. Because of her "innocents" as Shadow called it she saw it. Yet it was hard to describe, yet in later years she would describe it like this." Mark had a glow about him, yet it was like a solid color...he was so strong. Yet on the inside she could see he was soft. Luke, had a sort of fainter glow...a seed of darkness within him...a constant battle within himself he has always kept secret...and Matthew...was just a mere man. A mere man...who knew what true love was, and that's what gave him the strongest glow of all. She turned to Shadow who merely nodded. She got a determined look upon her face as she started to help them push the heavy door close.

"JONI NOW" yelled Mark as they got it closed and she pushed her pendent in the small hole made for it and twisted it. Suddenly a large very dissectible "click" was heard, and the world went back to normal and Joni fell to the ground.

* * *

She awoke in the Pryce household on the couch. Her three older brothers all-staring at her.

"Hey Jone's." they merely said at the same time.

"W-what happened"

"We saved the world that's what happened." Luke thought.

"Well I know that Lukas."

"W-what? I didn't say anything."

"Oh I know I read your mind," she said casually. Suddenly all 3 brothers backed away from their sister and quickly left the room. Shadow entered the room.

"You did well last night Daughter of Shadow."

"Thanks Shad, say am I going to be able to read everyone's mind"

"Yes, and no. Sometimes it will be unbearable; sometimes it will be to clear for your liking. You have yet to harness your true powers, Joni."

"Well will you help me"

"No, Matthew is my charge, yet your guardian I believe is upstairs." he grinned backing away and Joni ran up the stairs, and saw the little vixen sleeping soundly on her bed. She smiled as she curled up into a little ball; Vixy snuggled into her arms and fell asleep.

* * *

"You ok" asked Liz as she passed Matt whom was leaning against the doorway of his little sisters room.

"Yeh, I just...feel bad...I have been ignoring her...especially since"

"The baby"

"Yeh" he sighed. The sun glowed room accentuated the shiny red color of her hair.

"Matthew" asked Liz taking one of his hands.

"Hmm" he asked turning to her.

"Do you love me"

"Of course." he replied slightly hurt, that she would ask such a question.

"Then do me a favor. Take your siblings and get out of Pinegreen."

"W-what? But Liz"

"No.your right, I know I am important to you Matt but I am not the only thing in your life...I see that now." she sighed heavily looking at the sleeping Joni. **"Being Athletic and Smart doesn't make a Pryce does it"** sighed Liz. Unknown to her, little Joni who's back to them had opened her eyes.

**"No" sighed Matt staring at her. "It's the heart"** and he turned around and left. Joni merely had a large smile on her face as she closed her eyes once more.


End file.
